The bossiest of bosses are counted down in our retrospective through long, breathless nights with sweaty palms, thrown controllers and endless battles against the baddest-ass villains we've ever faced -- both new and old-school. Of course, with these famous foes, it's a love/hate relationship. Did your favorites make the list? Comment and let us know!
47. Richter Belmont (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
It was a shock for fans of the Castlevania series to see a Belmont as the lord of Dracula's castle, but this was only one of several storyline stunners in the masterpiece that was Symphony.46. Vega (Street Fighter II)
You've never felt pain until you've felt the pain inflicted by a ninja bullfighter! Zesty!45. The Colossi (Shadow of the Colossus)
Towering mythological titans, perhaps the most impressive and fearsome creatures ever rendered in a videogame, and incredibly cinematic experiences that had us checking to make sure this was still the PlayStation 2... need we say more?44. Carmen Sandiego (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?)
When you're famous enough that every child in the world is hunting for you, it's clear that you've made your name with an impressive legacy of villainy. Did anyone ever really know what Sandiego did wrong, though? (Answer: she was a thief).43. Kane (Command & Conquer)
Kane was the diabolical leader behind the shady Brotherhood of Nod organization, which plotted to take over the world. And, as the storyline implies, he may just have been the immortal Biblical figure Cain. Living up to that rep, he went ahead and murdered his own brother. "I ain't your keeper, dude!"
42. Dahlia Gillespie (Silent Hill)
This would-be antichrist (and hella creepy old hag) is the ringleader of the dark cult that draws its power from the supernatural reckonings within the town of Silent Hill. (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)41. Lady Vox (EverQuest)
Every EQ raiding party cut their teeth on this vicious dragon, an encounter that paved the way for WarCraft's Lady Onyxia. Getting WTFZOMGPWNED by this beast is just a rite of passage in MMO gaming.40. Albert Wesker (Resident Evil series)
A modern-day Cavendish, Albert Wesker was once an honorable member of the S.T.A.R.S. special forces unit that has been drawn to the disturbing events of Raccoon City in the various Resident Evil games. However, he betrayed his comrades and has taken the helm of a shadowy organization that seems to have an agenda for the disturbing biohazard outbreak... and the story continues to unfold. (Photo Courtesty of Wikipedia)39. Dr. Wily (Mega Man series)
Clearly a standout from the overcrowded school of mad scientists, Dr. Wily has gone on to terrorize the honorable Dr. Light... who, in turn, apparently didn't get into the overcrowded school of elderly chosen-one teachers for nothing-he also can create great robots, like Mega Man!38. The Thief (Zork)
Okay, dude... I'm so dedicated to this damn game that I'm gonna go through the trouble of typing all of my actions and just read text to create the entire scenario in my head. Yep, that's right... type. In my leisure time... I'm gonna read. And you're gonna come along steal my crap? Again and again? You, good sir, suck.37. The Creator (The Final Fantasy Legend)
If you want to ask God himself why He needs a starship, you can find Him as the final boss of this game. You gotta wonder... how many hit points did the developers give God?36. Ragnaros (World of WarCraft)
Big, spiraling lava dude at the end of Molten Core, the first truly epic dungeon of World of WarCraft (requiring a 40-man raid party). Before the Burning Crusade, Ragnaros was the threshold between hardcore and lite WoW players. If you'd beaten him, you were a playa, player.35. Officer Tenpenny (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)
This corrupt police officer is a masterful puppeteer, manipulating Los Santos' cops, its gangs, its community and its seedy drug runners, eventually resulting in an all-out riot. You gotta respect a guy who takes a stand and says, "No, man. We can't all just get along." (Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia)34. Lavos (Chronotrigger)
You've heard one story of an alien parasite who came to Earth 65 billion years ago, you've heard 'em all. Unless you're talking about the diabolical Lavos, who had three distinct phases and then two parts in his final phase and then a whole 'other form in Chrono Cross. My boy goes through more makeovers than Madonna.33. Kefka (Final Fantasy VI)
Let's face it-we could populate this entire list with characters solely from Square games. And yeah, there will be a couple more. But this guy enslaved our girl Terra and, let's face it, committed genocide. I mean, it's not like he threw some fireballs at us. Homey killed billions.32. Evil Otto (Berzerk)
Don't judge us for putting this bouncing smiley face in front of the guy who killed billions. Look, you try playing the frantic neural spasm that is Berzerk and tell us if Evil Otto doesn't freak you out too. (Photo Courtesy of classicgaming.com)31. The Flood (Halo: Combat Evolved)
The arrival of the Flood marked a completely unforeseen turning point in Halo's previously straightforward storytelling, but the developers were too busy throwing a brutal, unforgiving assault at Master Chief to stop and pat themselves on the back. Now THAT is adrenaline.30. M. Bison (Street Fighter II)
This guy had the nerve to look you dead in the face, threaten your very soul and then tell you he represents an organization called Shadoloo. That's brave, man. You get the image of him busting into a breakdance fight against Sha Na Na. (Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia)













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Comments
Seriously?
I love how there are more complaints about Sephiroth fanboys (like 8) than there are actual Sephiroth fanboys (1). Did you say Advent Children? Movie was tight. Respect. As for "Momma's boy hater": GET BACK TROLL! All you do is bash other people for having an opinion without positing one of your own. Off with his head.
Besides, we all know that Ganondorf is the greatest villain in history. Or at least he wins the A for effort... He's tried to take over Hyrule like 8,000 times.
Lol
Lol, you guys all care so much about one person's opinion. There's no need to exert yourself so much on something which won't be changed because you swore at it =D
WHY?!
first thing's first
this,as most villain/hero tops is based on memorability and popularity of the characters not evilness nor status
Sephiroth:a name which inspires gayness,like all gay fan boys who overrate and fanatically love him for no apparent reason(or maybe because they're fags)
all he did was being there and being momma's boy o,he WANTED to do many things(not really original of course) but couldn't because he's a pansy and hes not really awesome hes just ur usual gay knight rip off
secondly
as usual,most comments were shit they really made me lol a lot of sephi's fan boys with no arguments and some guys who didn't even know where they are
there's also a lot of flood supporters not that they're shit but they arent the most awesome and memorable or diabolical eusocial race of life devouring aliens
AND
the zergs are kinda over rated also they arent the direct spiritual successor of the aliens it goes like this
aliens(first MODERN eusocial alien species)->tyrannids->zergs
not that zergs arent cool they're more awesome than the flood but their kinda copied after tyrannids blizz stoles a lot of ideas they first told the guys at games workshop that they want to make a warhammer game(with both warcraft and starcraft)so that they didn't risk copyright infringement
GIYGAS!!!!
seriously! WHERE IS HE! Giygas could whop all of these peoples asses IN ONE ATTACK! Not only that but giygas looks soooooo much cooler than anyone else and hes the reincarnation of evil itself!
So lame
how can the Flood be 31st? They killed hundreds of billions of people and took over entire fucking galaxies. anyone who thinks they shoulden't at least be top three can eat shit and die.
This whole...
"Sephiroth is the best villain in the entire video game universe" thing is getting ridiculous. The only reason he's so goddamn great is because of the fanboys ranting and raving about him. It's been, what, 12 years since FF7 came out? Give other villains a chance, and not just Sephiroth OR other FF villains. For example, Wesker from the Resident Evil series (a.k.a #40). Wesker's MUCH more calculating than Sephiroth. Plus, Sephiroth didn't do much at all from what I can tell. He just walked through fire and tried blowing a planet up. Plus, he's a MOMMA'S BOY. Now, I'm not just ranting about Sephiroth because I hate him, I just think that he's being blown a BIT out of proportion. ...Okay, WAY out of proportion.
If Sephiroth is 2 then Kefka
If Sephiroth is 2 then Kefka is 1, ontop of that Lance Vance? if you're going to pick someone from GTA:VC then the obvious choice is the protagonist; Tommy Verceti
Thats gay...
WTF? Dk wasnt evil at all he just thrown fuckin barrels at mario and luigi wtf?
Whoever made this ure dipshit who dont even know whos worst bad ass!
Kerrigan is worst than DK she betrayed her friends DK did not lol
That's what Cloud said.
That's what Cloud said.
No Master Hand?? Really???
No Master Hand?? Really???
Crappiest article in hisrory.
Crappiest article in hisrory. Yes, let's find a list of fifty games smothered in pop culture, then grab their antagonists and paint them as the greatest villains in videogaming, regardless of the merit or relevance of the characters themselves. Don't forget to epic up the title by mentioning "all-time".
CATS from Zero Wing and Donkey Kong in a diabolical villains list. For Christ's sake.
I'm sad that Exdeath isn't on
I'm sad that Exdeath isn't on here. He did everything Sephiroth did and then some.
-Killed a main character
-Fought you 3 times (But Sephiroth died each one, Exdeath never died)
-Has a sword (That's Sepiroth's only weapon, Exdeath has the void)
Something villains never do: HE DID THINGS HIMSELF.
donkey kong < all of the others
and i agree with kid who said illidan for pres. he's frickin evil. and lawlsauce at dk bein #1. imo it should be mother brain cuz she's the scariest fucking last boss i have ever encountered and i had nightmares.
Yeah!
Yeah!
Hogger owns all. End of
Hogger owns all. End of story.
Oh. like my gawd, u suck.
Oh. like my gawd, u suck. like, sephy-poo should totally be number 1. I mean who's donky kong? why does a fat monkey beat the most handsome awesome villain ever?
Spherioth for numbar 1!
Reading these descriptions, I
Reading these descriptions, I begin to think that, A, the reviewer has never played most of these games and is instead writing purple prose out their exhaust pipes and going on third hand information, B, whoever ordered the list might have been a different person, and C that the reviewer and staff are misinformed as to what diabolical means.
A lot of the villains on this list (specifically Sephiroth though) were not diabolical. Evil? Undoubtedly. But diabolical? No.
Murder is not diablogical. Genocide? Poisoning a castle and killing the entire civilian populace to achieve a goal? Planning a massive Xanatos Gambit to take over the world? That's diabolical. Sephiroth might have had the potential to be diabolical, but you really can't lay a claim to fame without some amount of success.
Also. Noble does not describe Cloud in any way. At all. Terms like noble are reserved for brooding anti-heroes, like Vincent, or innocent bastions of goodness, like Aerith.
hogger
#24
hogger
xD
Aaaaaaamen. Sephiroth and
Aaaaaaamen.
Sephiroth and Final Fantasy VII altogether is NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD as VI, and definitely nowhere near as good as its fanboys like to claim. Frankly, Sephiroth is like Master Chief, a video game cliche, and not even a challenge (Kefka was a decent challenge.)
Kefka gets my vote as the single greatest Final Fantasy villain of all time. And he sure as hell shouldn't rank lower than Sephiroth on ANY list. And I think whoever wrote this list bought into the hype or is a FFVII fanboy.
I find that FF actually turned to crap from VII on, as if Square stopped being so inspired. VI was definitely Final Fantasy at its very peak, veritably epic story, massive cast of player characters with an almost larger fleet of NPCs to interact with, the fact that you're taking on an entire empire that ends up not even being that actual threat ... and seriously... KEFKA. No other RPG villain was anything like Kefka.
Kefka definitely beats Sephiroth hands down because Kefka actually did things Sephiroth tried and failed to do:
1. Kefka enslaved the main character before the story even begins. Sephiroth did manage to take over Cloud for like three minutes in the entire story of FFVII, but that's not even a blip on the radar of almost the entirety of Terra's entire life that Kefka did. Why is Sephiroth considered a more primo villain than Kefka if he barely manages a few minutes of enslavement of the hero?
2. Kefka had THRICE committed full-scale genocide in Final Fantasy VI: First the unfortunate people of Doma were poisoned to death at the time Cyan joins the story, an action Kefka committed in clear opposition to his orders. Second, he absolutely slaughters pretty much the ENTIRE Esper race at Thamasa just for the sake of taking their magic. And third, he turns the light of judgment and kills almost everyone in Mobliz just because he didn't like them. Want to know how many genocides Sephiroth actually did? Zero. None. Why is Sephiroth considered a more primo villain than Kefka if he doesn't even slaughter an entire people?
3. Kefka murders a few key people key people in the story: General Leo, Emperor Gestahl, and if you're in too much of a rush to get off the Floating Continent: Shadow, a Player Character. Sephiroth only kills two people and emos for the rest of the game: President Shinra and Aeris. Why is Sephiroth considered a more primo villain than Kefka if he can only manage to kill two people, only one of which you get to play for only 1/3 of the game?
4. Kefka also does three VERY MAJOR THINGS Sephiroth does not do that essentially means Kefka "wins" in Final Fantasy VI: a. He actually BECOMES a god, unlike Sephiroth who couldn't even manage to hit the planet with a big-ass meteor. b. Kefka actual destroys the world, unlike Sephiroth, for the reason I just mentioned in a: He couldn't even hit the planet with a big-ass meteor. c. Kefka actually wins on the Floating Continent... nobody, as hard as they try, could stop him from exploiting the Goddess Statues and accomplishing a or b. Sephiroth... YET AGAIN... never once won in any sense, never reached godhood, and never thwarted everyone at any point in the story. The most he did was get the Black Materia which was only a means to an end. Why is Sephiroth considered a more primo villain than Kefka if he never actually attains his goals?
Kefka is better than Sephiroth in every way.
video game villians
Arthas should be in top 10
I totally agree
I totally agree
Kefka should have been ranked
Kefka should have been ranked higher than Sephiroth.
illidan the betrayer?
:( HES EVIL!!!!Y AIN't ILLIDAN HERE!!!!!!!!
Nemisis #29 OMG
Okay Nemesis is the most diabolical thing I've ever seen and hes #29!?!?! OMG! He should be #1 I mean Donkey Kong? Seriously, he's #1 on the Nice list Nemesis is Meant to BE #1!
wtf
wtf wheres hitler from wolfenstein?
What!!!!! Sephiroth
What!!!!!
Sephiroth 2!!!!!!???
I can't belive it....
my god arthas the betrayer
my god arthas the betrayer the corrupted the lich king is on # 20 WTF i mean stabbing fathers killing people killing mentors fucking ur friends girlfriend isnt enuogh?
how the hell did Donkey Kong
how the hell did Donkey Kong beat out Sephiroth?? Donkey Kong? Diabolical?? I would hardly call throwing barrels at mario to keep him at bay diabolical.
Where are the rest?
Ok, srsly, where r the rest? Wheres Sargeras and Kil'Jaeden and Kel'Thuzad? I dont see how a stupid monkey that snatched ur fave hooker is eviler then a Dark Titan who killed thousands or an evil lich who rules a big fat flying fortress and thousands of undead? WoW pwns all these games, holy crap. Open your eyes! And also, where the hell is the Prophet of Truth? A slut-snatching baboon is in no way more powerful then a diabolical monstrosity wanting to destroy the universe with thousands of religious fruitcakes praying for the day the get to pick up his crap! THESE ARE DIABOLICAL VILLAINS, NOT HOOKER STEALERS.COM!!! HOLY CRAP!
The first powerful boss. (All
The first powerful boss. (All the rest before him suck).
got to remember DK was a
got to remember DK was a villian to start with. in two DK games before his big SNES makeover.
info from where?
where did this guy get his info? Eggman, IQ of 3000. Wow, please telll me he typoed, even wikipedia got it right with 300....
Donkey Kong.....seriously?
Um... Wesker...#40? WTF!? Did
Um... Wesker...#40? WTF!? Did the title say diabolical or am I misreading this? Seriously, DK?!! A hero, number 1!? wtf
The Butcher
Where the hell is The Butcher from Diablo 1?
FFVI
i'm sure someone has already said it by now but there's no way Kefka should be anything lower than 2 on this list. And yes, he should be ahead of Sephiroth
Hogger should have been
Hogger should have been #1...he is the epitome of evil
donkey kong number 1? wow
donkey kong number 1? wow whoever made this is retarded lol
Fail
Fail where's ? Le Chuck from Monkey Island Series.
The main way it's fail IMO is
The main way it's fail IMO is having CATS up there that high (and with his trademark quote all there is to boot) and actually including Vega. C'mon if him, why not someone like Dio from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (in various games so far AFAIK thanks in part to the Jump DS games) since Vader's there, or maybe someone else from Street Fighter... Like Akuma? LMAO at Bison, I like him, but he looks too much like Washizaki (from Riki-Oh).
what the cheese!
sephiroth wanted to use the planet as a boat!!!!!!! how the cheese did donkey kong beat him to nb 1
EPIC FAIL
Wow! Thank god for once
Wow!
Thank god for once Sephiroth isn't on top! :D
fail
fail
wow dk is very very evil i
wow dk is very very evil i had no idea
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